It is hard for a Prince to esteem the Parts of a Minister without either envying or fearing them; and less dangerous for a Minister to shew all the Weakness than all the Strength of his Understanding. There are so many things necessary to make up a good Minister, that no wonder there are so few of them in the World. There is hardly a rasher thing, than for a Man to venture to be a good Minister. A Minister of State must have a Spirit of liberal Oeconomy, not a restrained Frugality. He must enlarge his Family-Soul, and suit it to the bigger Compass of a Kingdom. A Prince should be asked, why he _will_ do a thing, but not why he _hath_ done it. If the Boys were to choose a School-master, it should be one that would not whip them; the same thing if the Courtiers were to choose a Minister. They would have a great many Play-days, no Rods, and leave to rob Orchards.----The Parallel will hold. _Wicked_ MINISTERS. A Cunning Minister will engage his Master to begin with a small wrong Step, which will insensibly engage him in a great one. A Man that hath the Patience to go by Steps, may deceive one much wiser than himself. State-business is a cruel Trade; Good-nature is a Bungler in it. _Instruments of_ STATE-MINISTERS. Men in Business are in as much danger from those that work under them, as from those that work against them. When the Instruments bend under the Weight of their Business, it is like a weak-legg'd Horse that brings his Rider down with him. As when they are too weak they let a Man fall, so when they are too strong they throw him off. If Men of Business did not forget how apt their Tools are to break or fail, they would shut up Shop. They must use things called _Men_ under them, who will spoil the best Scheme that can be drawn by Human Understanding. Tools that are blunt cannot cut at all, and those that are sharp are apt to cut in the wrong place. Great difference between a good Tool and a good Workman. When the Tools will be Workmen they cut their own Fingers, and every body's else. _Of the_ PEOPLE. There is more Strength in _Union_ than in _Number_; witness the People that in all Ages have been scurvily used, because they could so seldom agree to do themselves Right. The more the weaker, may be as good a Proverb as, The more the merrier. A People can no more stand without Government, than a Child can go without Leading-Strings: as old and as big as a Nation is, it can't go by itself, and must be led. The _Numbers_ that make its Strength, are at the same time the Cause of its Weakness and Incapacity of Acting. Men have so _discovered themselves_ to _one another_, that Union is become a mere Word, in reality impracticable. They trust, or suspect, not upon Reason but ill-grounded Fame; they would be at ease, saved, protected, _&c._ and give nothing for it.